Thomas Paschos

Thomas Paschos specializes in the defense of professional liability matters, corporate litigation matters, insurance coverage, employment matters, products liability and commercial litigation.  An experienced trial attorney, with over 39 years of litigation experience, he has represented, amongst others, major health care institutions and providers, major corporations, corporate officers, physicians, public officials, law enforcement officials, nursing homes, lawyers, judges, school boards, accountants, product manufacturers, insurance agents and brokers, architects and engineers, contractors, transportation companies and insurance companies., His trial and arbitration skills were enhanced with his LLM degree in Trial Advocacy in 1998 from Temple Law School, which was an advanced one-year trial advocacy program taught by preeminent attorneys and trial advocacy professors.  He has also been successful in the appellate courts in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.

He has been awarded an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, which identifies a lawyer with a very high to preeminent legal ability. As the managing partner of Thomas Paschos & Associates, P.C., he is responsible for managing the firm's offices in Haddonfield, NJ and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The firm is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and Tom is the former Chairman of Primerus’ Professional Liability Defense Practice Group, former chair of Primerus' Employment and Labor Group, former executive committee member of Primerus’ Transportation Defense Practice Group and currently one of Primerus’ attorney ambassadors. Also, he is currently the Chair of Primerus’ Trial Skills Academy and on the Executive Committee of Primerus’ Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Defense Practice Group. He was formerly the chair for the Lawyers Professional Practice Group of the Professional Liability Defense Federation. He previously served as the Chair of CLM’s Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter.  He was first selected as one of Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers in 2004 and continues being part of this select group of attorneys at this time. He was formerly an ARIAS –U.S. Certified Arbitrator. He is also currently a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC), a prestigious group of outstanding defense and corporate counsel. He is currently the Vice-Chair of FDCC’s Appellate Law Section. 

Tom is the author of numerous insurance industry publications and the presenter of in-house presentations for clients. He advises insurance companies and private corporations in loss prevention strategies and has provided in-house presentations in preventing and defending bad faith actions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He has been a moderator and/or a presenter in the field of trial strategies, professional liability, defense strategies to plaintiff’s reptile theories, and employment practices liability matters for Primerus, PLUS, CLM, major insurance companies, major corporations, and the Professional Liability Defense Federation. He has also presented numerous webinars for and through Primerus. In addition, he is the co-author of one of the chapters of a treatise on Insurance Agency Risk and Umbrella Policies-Personal and commercial, published by Thomson Reuters, 2014.  

Tom is a graduate of Temple University School of Law, from where he received his J.D. in 1985, and L.L.M. in Trial Advocacy in 1998, and Drexel University where he received his B.S. in 1982. He is admitted to practice in the federal and state courts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, and has a statewide practice in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In the Greek American community, he was past president of the American Hellenic Lawyers Association, past president of AHEPA Chapter #26, and past national chairman of the Pan-Macedonian National Convention. 
 

He was born in Alistrati, Greece and emigrated to the United States at the age of 10 with his family, when his father, a tailor in Alistrati, decided to find a better future for his family in the US.  Married for over 38 years to Lucy (maiden name Tierney), they are the proud parents of 6 children, and 3 grandchildren.  In the political orbit, Tom has been involved in politics since graduating from law school, and he has assisted candidates and been involved in candidates’ political campaigns for local, state and national elections, including US Senate races, governor races and presidential campaigns. He has also represented political organizations in election court matters. He also volunteers his time to many church related activities and charitable activities. 
 

Education:

• Temple University School of Law; J.D. 1985
  • L.L.M. in Trial Advocacy, 1998
• Drexel University; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 1982

Admissions:

• Pennsylvania-1985
• New Jersey-1986
• U.S.D.C. Eastern District of PA-1986
• U.S.D.C. Middle District of PA-2001
• U.S.D.C. New Jersey-1986
• U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit-1986
• U.S. Supreme Court-1989

Areas of Practice:

• Accounting Malpractice
• Agents and Brokers
• Architects and Engineers
• Assisted Living Facilities
• Bad Faith Litigation
• Civil Rights Liability
• Commercial Litigation
• Commercial Truck Accident Litigation
• Complex Commercial Litigation
• Condominium Associations
• Construction Litigation
• Dental Malpractice
• Directors and Officers
• Employment Practices Liability
• Engineers and Contractors
• Environmental Consultants
• Environmental Litigation
• General Property and Casualty Litigation
• Insurance Coverage Litigation
• Labor & Employment Litigation
• Legal Malpractice
• Lessors Contingent Liability
• Medical Malpractice
• Nursing Homes
• Premises Liability Litigation
• Products Liability
• Public Officials
• Specialty Errors and Omissions
• Subrogation
• Transportation Litigation

Member:

• Primerus
  • Professional Liability Practice Group, Past Chair
  • Labor & Employment Group, Committee Member
• Professional Liability Underwriters Society
• Defense Research Institute
• Professional Liability Defense Federation
  • Chair – Lawyers Professional Practice Group
• Philadelphia Bar Association
• Montgomery County Bar Association
• Saint Thomas Moore Society of Philadelphia
  • Board of Directors, 2002-Present
• American Hellenic Lawyers Association
  • President 2001-2003
  • Chairman, Board of Directors, 2004-2005

Articles & Publications:

• Matter of Faith: Attorney Pinned His Legal Hopes on Art of Relationship Building - Thomas Paschos (Paradigm April 2022)
• Third Circuit Upholds FLSA Claims Against Successor Entity - Thomas Paschos (Paradigm Fall 2014)
• Best Strategies Defending Employment Retaliation Claims in New Jersey (Paradigm Winter 2014)
• Article: "The Preservation of the Attorney-Client Privilege by Corporate Counsel"Paradigm Magazine – International Society of Primerus Law Firms, Winter 2012;
• Article: "'Mixed Motives' Claim Eliminated Under the Federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act," PLUS Journal, September 2009, Volume XXII, Number 9; Co- Author
• Article: "Understanding and Preventing Professional Negligence Actions," before Minimizing Engineering Liability Seminar, in conjunction with Half Moon LLC, Fort Washington, PA, December 19, 2008; Co-Author
• Recent Changes in Employment Law Decisions, presented before Insurance Broker Seminar, in conjunction with Navigators, Beazley, and Markel, April, 2008
• Article: "A Claim of Malicious Abuse of Process Requires Proof That the Attorney Acted For His or Her Own Purpose," PLUS Journal, February 2008, Volume XXI, Number 2; Co-Author
• "Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice," National Business Institute, November 2007; Co-Author
• Article: "LAD Retaliation Claimants Must Prove Good Faith: Key Decision Makes It More Difficult To Prove LAD Claims In New Jersey And Easier For Employers To Defend," PLUS Journal, June 2007, Volume XX, Number 6; Co-Author
• Human Resource Policies that Prevent Lawsuits, National Business Institute, September, 2006; Co-Author
• Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice in New Jersey, National Business Institute, November, 2006; Co-Author
• Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice, National Business Institute, October 2005; Co-Author
• Practical Guide to Federal Court Rules and Procedures, National Business Institute, 2003; Co-Author
• Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Pennsylvania, Strategies in Preparation and Valuation, National Business Institute, 1999; Co-Author

Presentations & Seminars:

• 23rd Annual PLUS International Conference, Moderator, Topic: "Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act", November, 2012;
• 5th Annual – National Directors and Officers Insurance ExecuSummit, "Fiduciary Failures in Non-Profit Organizations", Uncasville, CT, May, 2009
• "Minimizing Engineering Liability", Fort Washington, PA, December 19, 2008;
• 4th Annual – National Errors and Omissions Insurance ExecuSummit, Topic: "The Pros & Cons of Potential Federal Insurance Regulations," New York City, NY, July 2008;
• "Recent Changes in Employment Law Decisions," presented before Insurance Broker Seminar, in conjunction with Navigators, Beazley, and Markel, April, 2008;
• "Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice," presented in Cherry Hill, N.J., National Business Institute, November 2007;
• 20th Annual PLUS International Conference, Moderator, Topic: "Employment Law and Retaliation Actions," Washington, D.C., November, 2007;
• Hartford Insurance Company's Claim Offsite Meeting, Topic: "Recent Employment Law Decisions," Florham Park, N.J., September, 2007;
• "Human Resource Policies that Prevent Lawsuits," presented in Philadelphia, Pa., National Business Institute, September, 2006;
• "Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice in New Jersey," presented in Cherry Hill, N.J., National Business Institute, November, 2006;
• "Current Issues Impacting Insurance Defense Practice," presented in Cherry Hill, N.J., National Business Institute, October 2005;
• PLUS E&O Non-Medical Symposium, Moderator, Topic: "E&O Lawsuits and Strict Liability Applications", presented in Philadelphia, Pa., May, 2005;
• "Practical Guide to Federal Court Rules and Procedures," presented in Cherry Hill, N.J., National Business Institute, 2003;
• "Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Pennsylvania, Strategies in Preparation and Valuation", presented in Philadelphia, Pa., National Business Institute, 1999.

Webinars:

• "Current Issues Involving Employment Law Litigation" presented for the International Society Primerus Law Firms, November, 2009;
• "Wage and Hour Litigation" presented for the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, January, 2012

Reported Cases:

• Hyde Athletic Industries, Inc. v. Continental Casualty Co., 969 F.Supp. 289 (1997)
• Gaskill v. Active Environmental Technologies, Inc., 360 N.J. Super. 530, 823 A.2d 878 (2003)
• Decisions of the Court referenced in a "Table of Decisions Without Reported Opinions" Curtis Thomas v. Sandy Larson, Valerie Shimbaum, Art Karone, Riverside/ Brandywine, Northwestern Human Services, 281 F.3d 224 (2001)
• Anorve v. Hudson County Motors, Inc., and Volvo Commercial Financial, 182 N.J. 629, 868 A.2d 1032 (2005)